Classifier.



A. E. VANDERCOOK.

CL-ASSIFIER.

AELSK. 1914.

APPLlCATlOH FILED M A. E. VANDERCOOK.

.CLASSIFIER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 3|, 1914. 1,151,131 Patented Aug. 24, 1915.

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I l 3 I III?! 1 J4 Y INVENTOR.

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'10 i pulverized ores orslimes from larger part1- .n snares; rarer ci r c.

ALBERT E. VANIOERCOOK, O33 ALAMEDA, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO CALIFORNIA MACVAN 00., OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF CALI- FORNIA.

CLASSIFIEB.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 24;, 1915.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALBERT E. VANnnn- COOK, a' citizen of the United States, and a resident of Alameda, county of Alameda, and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Classitiers, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to apparatuswhich is employed for separating finely ground or cles of ore, or generally for separating slimes from larger particles and at the same time grading the slimes.

The'object of the invention is to provide an efficient classifier for separating slimes from other coarser particles usually encountered in metallurgical operations.

Another object of the invention is to provide a classifier which may be adjusted to deliver slimes of different grades.

The invention possesses other advantageous features, which, with the foregoing, will be set forth at length in the following description where I shall outline infull that form of the invention which I have selected for illustration in the drawings accompanying and forming part of the present specification. The novelty of the invention will be included in the claims succeeding said I description. ,From this will be apparent that I do not limit myself to the showing made by said drawings and description, as I may adopt many variations within the scope of my invention as set forth in said claims.

Referring to said drawings: Figure 1 is a side View of the classifier of my invention arranged in. juxtaposition to a pulverizing mill from which the material to be classified is fed. Fig. 2 is a perspective view, partly broken away, of the trough which forms part of the classifier. Fig. 3 is a detail of the driving mechanism for the conveyor which removes the larger and heavier particles from the classifier. Fig. f is. a longitudinal vertical section of the classifier. Fig. 5 is a view of the slimes discharge end of the classifier. Fig. 6 is a cross section of the classifier taken at the point of greatest depth of the trough. Fig. 7 is a section taken on the line B-B Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a section taken on the line CC Fig. 6. Fig. 9 is a section taken on the line DD Fig. 4,

The classifier of my invention is particularly adapted to grade the slimes usually encountered in metallurgical operations, and to discharge slimes in which the particles are of a given maximum diameter and the classifier may be adjusted to cause the discharged slimes to consist of particles having other maximum diameters. The diameter of the particles is usually designated in terms of the number of openings per linear inch in a screen through which the slimes wlll pass, for instance, a slime which will pass through a screen having 200 openings to the linear inch, is usually called a slime of 200 fineness.

The classifier of my invention consists of an elongated tank or vessel 2 having a bottom 3 inclined in the direction of its length and provided with steep sloping sides 4 and an inclined discharge side 5. Formed as a continuation of the tank 2 is a trough 6 havin preferably vertical sides 7 and an inclined bottom 8 arranged at the same slope as the bottom 3 of the tank and forming a continuation of said bottom. The bottom of the trough is preferably of the same width as the bottom of the tank, so that the tank and trough virtually form an inclined trough. The bottom of the trough (3 at its higher end lies above the level of the liquid in the tank, so that only the lower portion of the bottom of the trough is submerged.

Arranged within the tank and trough is a conveyer for removing from the tank the coarser and heavier particles which settie to the bottom. The conveyor consists preferably of an endless chain 12 mounted on sprockets 13 and 14 arranged at the lower end of the tank and at the upper end of the trough respectively. Arranged on the chain 12 are a pluralityv of scrapers 15, preferably formed of angle iron, which are moved along the bottom of the tank and trough, carrying the coarser and heavier material upward along the bottom and discharging it through the discharge outlet 16 arranged adjacent the higher end of the bottom 8 of the trough. The bottom of the tank 2 adjacent the sprocket 13 is rounded concentrically with the axis of the sprocket, so that no pocket may be formed in which the coarser material may accumulate. Arranged at this lower part of the tank is a plugged drain hole 17 through which the liquid and solids in the tank may be discharged when it is desirable to empty the tank. Y

The shaft of sprocket 13 is mounted in bearings 18 which are slidable in the guides 19 arranged at opposite sides of the tank, thereby permitting the sprocket and conveyer to be lifted from the tank, for the purpose of cleaning, repair, or other reasons. The guides 19 are attached to or formed integral with the plates 21, which form a partial dividing wall. Stops 22 on the guides 19 hold'the bearings 18 in the properposition so that the sprocket 13 is properly positioned in the tank. Arranged in the guides 19 and slidable therein is a gate or baffle 23, which together with the plates 21 form a complete dividing wall or baffle in the tank. Set screws 24; arranged at the upper end of the guideshold the gate 23 inadjusted positions.

The material to be classified is fed into the tank adjacent its higher end, through the launder or conduit 25, which receives the material from the pulverizing mill 26. This material consists of a mixture of liquid and solid and semi-solid material of difi'erent grades of fineness. The coarser and heavier material is deposited on the bottom of the tank and the finer material, which it is deelongated aperture which sirable to separate and conserve is held in I suspension in the liquid. The liquidcarrying this material and perhaps some coarser materirl, passes under the gate 23 and up on the other side thereof. The current flows upward very slowly allowing the heavier particles to sink to the bottom before the liquid overflows the discharge opening, which preferably consists of a lip 27' of less length than the width of the tank Qt its upper end. The discharging liquid is caught by the launder 28, whence it flows to a thickener or any other desired place.

Arranged below the overflow lip 27 is an is closed by a plate-29 when the liquid is discharging over the discharge lip. When it is desirable to obtain a diii'erent and coarser grade of slimes, the plate 29 is removed and the.liq-

1 uid allowed to discharge through the aperture into the launder 31. In this condition, the liquid travels upward a shorter distance after passing the gate, carrying with it a greater percentage of coarser particles. The

grade of the discharging particles may also be controlled by adjusting the position of the gate 23, to vary the length of the upward travel of the particles, when it is found that-a less hydraulic pressure is possible of use in order to obtain the desired grading, the gate is raised, thereby causing a slower movement of the liquid through the aperture below the gate.

The scrapers 15 are of substantially the same width as the bottom of the tank and trough so that they will efiectively remove the coarser material therefrom. The down coming scrapers engage guides 32 arranged.

settling of the heavier particles in the tank. v

The steady movement of the conveyer is also increased by maintaining the chain com-- This-is accomplished by mounting the shaft of sprocket 14 in bearparatively taut.

ings which are adjustable, as by means of the screws- 33. The shaft of sprocket 14 is provided on one end with a worm-wheel 34 which is engaged by a worm 35 secured to shaft 36, the speedof which may be varied by any suitable means, such asstep-cone pulleys. It is understood that various ores require various treatment and that the speed of-travel of the conveyer is proportioned to the qualities of the ore and the separation desired.

The coarser particles which tend to adhere to the scrapers as they pass over the discharge aperture 16 are removed therefrom and are carried through the aperture by a stream of water or liquid discharging onto the bottom of the trough above the aperture from the pipe 3.7. The liquid and coarser particles discharging through the aperture are conveyed by the conduit .38 into the receiving end ofthe pulverizing mill inwhich the particles are again subjected to pulverizing action. I

The efiiciency of the classifier may be judged from the following test, in which slimes were classified to pass through a 200 mesh screen; pulverizing mill was of tne following consistency; 73.31% was retained on a 40 mesh screen; et.37% on'a 60 mesh screen; 3.88% on an mesh screen; 8.25% on a 100 mesh screen; .4870 on a 200 mesh screen and 97% passed through a 200 mesh screen. The product from the classifier was as 'follows: 98.93% passed through a 200 mesh screen and 1.07% was retained on the 200 mesh screen.

I claim: i

l. A classifier comprising an inclined trough, an endless travelingv conveyer arranged in contact with the bottom vof said trough, and a vertically adjustable battle plate arranged at the lower end of said trough and spaced from the bottom thereof vertically above the lower termination of the conveyor. 7

2. In a classifier, a tank having an end The material as fed to the mania? and an-inclined bottom curving upward into said end, a sprocket Wheel arranged in the tank concentric with the curved bottom, a

' second sprocket Wheel at the upper end of said tank, an endless chain engaging said trough at the loWer end, a sprocket jour- I naled in said guides, a sprocket journaled at the upper end of the trough, an endiess chain engaging said sprockets, scrapers adapted to contact with the bottom of said trough arranged on said chain, and a gate arranged in said guides above said first named sprocket.

i. In a classifier, an inclined trough, substantiaiiy vertical guides arranged at the opposite sides of said trough at the lower end, a sprocket Wheei,.bearings for said sprocket Wheel siidably arranged in said guides, a gate slidabiy arranged in said guides above said sprocket Wheel, a second sprocket Wheei at the upper end of said trough, an endless chain engaging said sprockets and scrapers on said chain arranged to engage the bottom of said trough.

5. Ln a classifier, an inclined tr ugh,substantialiy vertical guides arr posite sides oi said trough a sprocket Wheei, hear-in a 1 wheel siidabiy arranged in sair gate siidabiy arranged said .des above said sprocket Wheel, a second sprocket WLeei at the upper end of said trough, an endless chain engaging said sprockets, scrapers on said chain adapted to engage the bottom of the trough on the upward travel of the chain, and guides arranged at opposite sides of the trough and being spaced from said first named guides arranged to he engaged by the scrapers on. the initial dcWnWard travel of the chain.

In testimony whereof, it rennto set my hand at San Francisco, Caniornia, this th day of March 191a.

ALBERT n. VANDERCUOK.

In presence of- Gr. Pnos'r, J. B. Genomes.

anged at op-. 

